1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Center rack in oven.2. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar along with 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to set.3. Overlap the orange slices in concentric circles over the topping. Each slice should overlap the other by half. I stuck the little end pieces on the edges of the skillet.4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and ground cardamom. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla and orange zest.5. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and thoroughly incorporate into batter. Scrap down sides of bowl as needed.6. Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then the milk mixture. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients until just combined.7. Pour batter over the oranges, even out with a spatula or knife and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.8. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes. Very carefully flip onto serving platter.

Hey Susan C,Yes, I used both. One was unpeeled and the rest were peeled (about 4 medium-small oranges total). Also, a very very sharp knife helps cut slices evenly...dull knifes will make you work more and that will allow the citrus to move and wiggle. The last slice is often the hardest to cut b/c you don't have much to hold onto...I'll usually put the citrus between my fingers (holding your hand in a "C" form) and slice between...or I ditch the last slide and just eat it. :) - mary

Iga@thedelishdish,I think you can easily make this in a 10" or 9" cake pan. (Be careful in a 9" pan that you don't put too much batter. That happened to me on the gingerbread upside cake). Just melt the butter, brownsugar and cardamom in a pan and quickly pour it into the cake pan. You don't need to caramelize it...just melt it til smooth. Let it rest to set up and continue on with the rest of the recipe. - mary

Oh, this is so pretty. I recently bought some blood oranges and have been trying to decide what to do with them. I already made a blood orange topped cake, but this one upside down one looks yummy too.

Did it taste as good as it looked? I want to meet DL too.....we will have to do the Paris Trip to see him when either you or I win the lottery :). If you win first, I also want a pony and a starbucks franchise.

Oh, I spent the whole weekend making all things blood orange: a b/o pork marinade, a b/o jelly with grand marnier cream, a tart with b/o curd, a spice b/o and banana quick bread. I indulged while the season is here--and now I see this beauty? Back to the co-op, back to the oven...It's really lovely and sounds just delicious!

I made this tonight and it was spectacular! You are so very right to emphasize that the butter, sugar and cardamom only need to MELT and blend together rather than pushing it to a caramelisation point...this will only cause the caramel to release less efficiently when turning out the cake at the end. My caramel stuck a bit...but I "recovered" the stuck toffee with a couple of tablespoons of blood orange juice and a tablespoon of rum (I would have used Grand Marnier or if I had it!)and it recovered its "pourability" immediately. I then topped the cake with this remaining mixture and it firmed up and turned out beautifully! Thank you for sharing such a winning and truly delicious recipe...This one is being added to our definitive list of family cakes!